Purpose of Test

Antimicrobial preservatives are substances typically added to non-sterile products (e.g. cleansers, cosmetics and other personal care products) to protect the product from microbiological growth. Effective preservation is important to ensure product quality and product safety and is commonly regulated by the U.S. FDA. The United States Pharmacopeia test and the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA) Microbiology Guidelines method M-3 provide guidance on the assessment of preservative effectiveness.

Summary of Test

In these methods, a sample of the product is inoculated with a variety of bacteria, fungi and yeast organisms (typically Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Aspergillus brasiliensis). The inoculated product is allowed to stand for up to 28 days and is periodically evaluated for surviving organisms. Depending on the type of product, specific reduction criteria may exist. Commonly, a 1.0-3.0 log10 reduction in organism is required after 14 days of exposure to the product with no increase in organism after 28 days.

Contact us

Whether you need company information or a quote for testing, start the conversation today.

This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember you. We use this information to improve and customize your browsing experience and for analytics and metrics about our visitors – both on this website and other media. To find out more about the cookies we use, see our Privacy Policy.

If you decline, your information won’t be tracked when you visit this website. A single cookie will be used in your browser to remember your preference not to be tracked.